8+ Ways To Train Yourself To Be Creative
February 27, 2008
by John Hoff @ eVentureBiz.com
A short time ago I received an email from a young entrepreneur asking me how he was suppose to compete in a marketplace where the competition was high and more established companies had big advertising bucks. I mentioned a few ideas to him but the one that concerned him the most was creativity. Give him numbers and he’ll work them, but tell him to come up with some creative idea, forget it.
He said he doesn’t have a creative bone in his body.
People who tell themselves that have already lost unless they decide to do something about it.
The development of a creative thought process is no different than learning martial arts. At first, someone shows you how to stand, execute proper body movement, and teaches you a Kata (a.k.a form - a set of movements that help develop your technique).
Once these techniques are learned you must practice them to become a good fighter. When fighting, it is taught that the best place for your mind to be is no where at all, called Mushin (means “no mind”). The point of Mushin is to blank out your mind so that you are in a state of “openness.” In other words, it allows you to simply react and not worry about what might happen when fighting.
To be creative, you have to first believe you are creative.
The same can be said when learning to be creative. You first learn what techniques help develop a creative thought process and then you have to practice them while keeping your mind open to endless possibilities no matter how ridiculous they may seem.
But how do you train your mind to become a well-oiled creative thinking machine?
Like the first sentence of this post says, you have to first believe you are a creative person. Following that you need to exercise your mind in various ways.
Let’s take a look at some creative mind-pumping ideas and activities that will help widen your mind’s creative eye.
I. Listen
Don’t Jump the Gun
It is important listen to everything and not judge or come to your own conclusion prematurely. This is vital if you are to create a product that wins in the eyes of your customers and employer. Remember, listening does not equal simply hearing.
Secrets of Greatness: What it Takes to be Great
January 29, 2008
Research now shows that the lack of natural talent is irrelevant to great success. The secret? Painful and demanding practice and hard work
By Geoffrey Colvin
What makes Tiger Woods great? What made Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett the world’s premier investor? We think we know: Each was a natural who came into the world with a gift for doing exactly what he ended up doing. As Buffett told Fortune not long ago, he was “wired at birth to allocate capital.” It’s a one-in-a-million thing. You’ve got it - or you don’t.
Well, folks, it’s not so simple. For one thing, you do not possess a natural gift for a certain job, because targeted natural gifts don’t exist. (Sorry, Warren.) You are not a born CEO or investor or chess grandmaster. You will achieve greatness only through an enormous amount of hard work over many years. And not just any hard work, but work of a particular type that’s demanding and painful.
Buffett, for instance, is famed for his discipline and the hours he spends studying financial statements of potential investment targets. The good news is that your lack of a natural gift is irrelevant - talent has little or nothing to do with greatness. You can make yourself into any number of things, and you can even make yourself great.
Scientific experts are producing remarkably consistent findings across a wide array of fields. Understand that talent doesn’t mean intelligence, motivation or personality traits. It’s an innate ability to do some specific activity especially well. British-based researchers Michael J. Howe, Jane W. Davidson and John A. Sluboda conclude in an extensive study, “The evidence we have surveyed … does not support the [notion that] excelling is a consequence of possessing innate gifts.”
To see how the researchers could reach such a conclusion, consider the problem they were trying to solve. In virtually every field of endeavor, most people learn quickly at first, then more slowly and then stop developing completely. Yet a few do improve for years and even decades, and go on to greatness.
The irresistible question - the “fundamental challenge” for researchers in this field, says the most prominent of them, professor K. Anders Ericsson of Florida State University - is, Why? How are certain people able to go on improving? The answers begin with consistent observations about great performers in many fields.
Read more
Podcast interview, Former President, CFO & COO of Coca-Cola and former CEO of Revlon, Jack Stahl
September 4, 2007
We had the honor of talking with the former President of Cola-Cola, Jack Stahl, and ask him questions about his book, Lessons on Leadership:The 7 Fundamental Management Skills for Leaders at All Levels. This book review was done a few weeks ago, and I recently have had the opportunity to talk with him and to learn from his 25+ years of leadership experience. It was invaluable and such and honor to talk with such a successful executive.
CultivateGreatness Leadership Podcast 015: Jack Stahl.
Some of the questions he answers:
• I’m here in Kansas City. We had George Brett on the KC Royals, stay with the Royals for his whole career. You spent parts of 4 decades at Coca-Cola. You rarely see that anymore. What made you want to stay at Coca Cola? And how can other companies improve their employee retention?
• Both Coca-Cola and Revlon have significant resources available to them when it comes to branding, including the ability to forge relationships with sports teams and the latest movies. What are some things smaller organizations can do to reinforce their brands?
• What advice do you have for a company that is thinking about expanding into the global marketplace?
• I was so sad when the local grocery stores stopped selling Coke in bottles and they were all replaced by 24 can packages. Do you know how much money I lost when that market was squeezed out? What was the catalyst behind moving from glass bottle to can?
• If you could give a business leader just one piece of advice, what would it be?
Let Us All Take Part in Blog Action Day 2007.
August 18, 2007
Cultivate Greatness is proud to announce that it will be taking part in Blog Action Day 2007. We have been misusing the environment for far too long, and we need to treat Mother Nature with Respect. Visit Blogactionday.org for more information. I encourage all bloggers to participate in this event on October 15th, 2007.
